Article-wrapping apparatus

ABSTRACT

A device for use in a wrapping apparatus in which a wrapping material is delivered from a supply roll into and across the path of an advancing article which is to be wrapped. The delivered wrapping material often assumes a curl along its longitudinal edges and/or along its leading end which interferes with article wrapping and which the device of the present invention removes by engaging and straightening the free end thereof.

I United States Patent 1 3 5%A35 [72] Inventors Goodwin S. Graves; [561 References Cited 5:14 R. Pepmeier, both of Fredencksburg, UNTED STATES PATENTS [2]] AWL No 813,607 2,894,363 7/1959 Voogd 53/389 x [22] Fued APR 4, 969 3,248,848 5/1966 Littlefield 53/389 X 9 31 1971 Primary Examiner-Theron E. Condon Asslgnee W corpflnuon Assistant ExaminzrE. F. Desmond Phlhdelphm, AttorneysThomas R. OMalley, George F. Mueller and Eugene G. Horsky [54] PF Zg E EF APPARATUS ABSTRACT: A device for use in a wrapping apparatus in rawmg which a wrapping material is delivered from a supply roll into [52] U.S.Cl 53/389, and across the path of an advancing article which is to be 53/228 wrapped. The delivered wrapping material often assumes a [51] Int. Cl ..B65b 111/12, curl along its longitudinal edges and/or along its leading end B65b 41/02 which interferes with article wrapping and which the device of {50) Field of Search 53/228, the present invention removes by engaging and straightening 229, 389 the free end thereof.

PATENTEU AUG 31971 SHEET 2 OF 2 ARTICLE-WRAPPING APPARATUS The present invention is directed to an improved article wrapping apparatus and particularly to a device for removing curl from along thelongitudinal edges and/or along the leading end of the wrapping material.

In many conventional articlewrapping apparatus, an article which is to be wrapped is initially enveloped with a wrapping material by moving the article itself against a wrapping material which is disposed across the article path. US. Pat. No. 2,373,655, for example, discloses an apparatus having a table, along which is advanced an article which is to be wrapped, and feed means for delivering a wrapping material from above the table into and across the path of article advancement. As the advancing article is moved against the wrapping material, the leading side, bottom and top of the article are enveloped by the wrapping material. Subsequently, the wrapping material is folded about the trailing side and ends of the article and sealed in place to thus complete the article wrapping.

The wrapping material employed in such conventional wrapping apparatus is supplied in the form of a roll from which is intermittently withdrawn a length of wrapping material which is necessary for wrapping .each of a series of individual articles. More particularly, the leading end of the wrapping material is passed downwardly through and well below an opening in the table along which is advanced the article which is to be wrapped so that the wrapping material extends across the path of article advancement. As an article which is to be wrapped is advanced against and is partially enveloped by the wrapping material which is in its path, the length of wrapping material which is necessary for complete envelopment of such article is severed from the supply roll. The newly formed leading endof wrapping material from the supply roll is then fed into position, as heretofore described, in preparation for wrapping of another article.

While conventional wrapping apparatus of the type described above are well adapted for high-speed articlewrapping operations, their performance is often restricted by the character of the particular wrapping material which is employed. Perhaps most prevalent of the causes for improper functioning of such article-wrapping apparatus is that the wrapping material which is withdrawn from the supply roll often assumes a curl along its longitudinal edges and/or along its leading end, thus bowing the wrapping material in its transverse direction and/or tending to roll the leading end upon itself. Curling of the wrapping material may be due, for exampie, to the tension under which the wrapping material is wound in roll form. In the case of hydrophilic wrapping materials, such asregenerated cellulose film, moisture gain or loss maybe the cause or may accentuate such curl of the wrapping material. Further, the movement of various parts of the wrapping apparatus often create air currents which urge or curl the leading end of the wrapping material upwardly, in a direction opposite to the direction of article advancement, and thus tendto roll such end upon itself.

With the presence of longitudinal edge curl, the wrapping material may be folded upon itself in the vicinity of its longitudinal edges as an article which is to be wrapped is advanced against the same so that little, if any, of the wrapping material projects beyond the ends of the article. As a result, the ends of the article are either incompletely or not covered with wrapping material. On theother hand, curling of the leading end of the wrapping material tends to roll such leading end upon itself so that all sides of the article are not enveloped by the wrapping material. Accordingly, a primary object of this invention is to provide an improved and more satisfactory article-wrapping apparatus.

Another object is to provide an improved article-wrapping apparatus in which a wrapping material is disposed and maintained in proper position for initial envelopment about an article which is to be wrapped.

Still another object is the provision of an article-wrapping apparatus which includes means for removing gurl from along the longitudinal edges and/or the leading end of a wrapping material which has been delivered into a position for envelopment about an article.

A further object is the provision of a simple and economical device which may be incorporated into existing articlewrapping apparatus, without altering their intended mode of operation yet adapt such apparatus for use with wrapping material which has a tendency to curl along its longitudinal edges and/or along its leading end.

These objects are accomplished in accordance with the present invention by an article-wrapping apparatus which includes a table, means for advancing an article which is to be wrapped along such table, feed means for delivering a wrapping material from above the table into and across the path of article advancement and a device positioned below the table for straightening the adjacent free or leading end portion of the wrapping material to thus remove curl which the longitudinal edges and/or the leading end of such delivered wrapping material may have assumed. More particularly, such device includes means for mounting the same below the table, an elongated member extending substantially transversely of the path of delivery of the wrapping material, means supporting the elongated member for movement, and means for mov' ing such elongated member toward and away from the path of delivery of the wrapping material. The elongated member is urged and maintained retracted away from the path of the wrapping material during its delivery and is projected toward such path and into position for engaging with a portion of one side of the wrapping material adjacent to its free end in timed relationship with the article advancement.

The elongated member may be a roller or wire and, desirably, is a plate which is supported by a pair of arms which are pivotally or swingably connected by a shaft to the mounting means. This elongated member may be moved toward and away from the delivery path of the wrapping material by a variety of means. For the sake of economy and simplicity in construction, the preferred embodiment of the invention employs a spring for moving, and maintaining the elongated member in its retracted position while a wiper, actuated by the article advancing means, is used for projecting such member toward the path of delivery of the wrapping material.

The device of the present invention may be incorporated into a various conventional article-wrapping apparatus in which wrapping material is delivered into and across the path of advancement of an article which is to be wrapped, and is hereafter described as being incorporated into an articlewrapping apparatus as disclosed in US. Pat. No. 2,373,655. The device of the present invention, having been incorporated into a wrapping apparatus as disclosed in the above-noted patent, has performed its intended function well with regenerated cellulose films and is, of course, adapted for use with other like flexible or limp wrapping materials.

In the drawing, FIG. 1 is a side view of a wrapping apparatus into which is incorporated the device of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a vertical section taken longitudinally of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a detailed view of the device of the present invention; and

FIG. 4 is a side view of the device shown in FIG. 3.

With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawing, the wrapping apparatus includes longitudinal and vertical frame members Ill and 13, respectively. Articles which are to be wrapped, indicated at A, are supported within a hopper l5 and are discharged therefrom by gravity through an opening I7 in a stationary top plate IS! and onto a table or bottom plate 21. The table M is pivotally supported at 23, with springs 25 and 27 carried by a bracket 29, normally urging one end of the table 211 upwardly toward the plate 19 to a degree as permitted by a stop bolt 31.

The articles which are discharged from the hopper 15 are advanced along the table 2l by rods 33 carried by a pair of feed chains 35. Openings 37 and 3? are provided in the plate l9 and table M, respectively, and permit passage of a wrapping material W, such as regenerated cellulose film, across the path of article advancement.

Any suitable feed means, such as that disclosed in US. Pat. No. 2,373,655, may be employed for delivering the wrapping material W along the desired path. As schematically illustrated in FIG. 1, the wrapping material W is supplied as a roll 41 which is laced about an idler roll 43, between an anvil roll 45 and a presser roll 47, and downwardly between nip rolls 49 and 51. The free or leading end of the wrapping material is then passed through and well below the openings 37 and 39 in the top plate 19 and table 21.

A tear strip material T may also be supplied as a roll 53 and is laced between feed rolls 55 and 57, over an idler roll 59 and then inbetween the anvil and presser rolls 45 and 47 where it is superimposed onto the wrapping material W. A cutter roll 61 cooperates with the anvil roll 45 to cut the tear strip material T, while a cutter roll 63 coaets with a blade 65, which is fixed to the vertical frame members 13, to sever the necessary lengths of wrapping material W from the supply roll.

As the article A is advanced into wrapping material which extends across its path, the wrapping material is folded across the top, bottom and leaving sides of the article. This article, with the partially applied wrapping material, is then moved into one of a plurality of radially disposed pockets P carried by an intermittently rotatable turret wheel 67 which is mounted on a shaft 69. The operation of the cutter roll 63 is so timed that the wrapping material will be out only after it has been engaged by an article and has been folded beneath the same. The upward pressure of the table 21 will hold the wrapping material tightly against the top and bottom sides of the article as the article is fed between the plates 19 and 2I during the severance of the wrapping material.

The severed length of the wrapping material is folded over the trailing side of the article and is sealed while such wrapping material and article are carried by the turret, afterwhich the wrapping material projecting from opposite ends of the article is folded and sealed in place. A detailed description of the construction and operation of the turret and the means for completing the folding and sealing of wrapping material about the article are believed to be unnecessary for a clear and complete understanding of the present invention, and may be the same as employed in the apparatus disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,373,655.

Referring to FIG. I of the drawing the feed chains 35 are laced about sprockets 7|, 73, 75 and 77 which are fixed, respectively, to shafts 79, 81, 83 and 85 supported between the longitudinal frame member 11. Fixed also to the shaft 79 is a gear 87 which meshes with and is driven by a gear 89. The gear 89 is itself driven from a main drive shaft 91 by a gear 93 and also meshes with a gear 95 fixed to a shaft 97. A gear 99, fixed to a shaft 101, on which is also mounted the cutter roll 63, is driven by the gear 95. From the drive mechanism thus far described, it will be seen that the feed means for advancing the article A along the table 21 is timed with the operation of the cutter roll so that a necessary length of wrapping material is delivered across the path of article advancement and is severed at the proper time as heretofore described. Feed means for delivering the wrapping and tear strip materials may be the same as described in US. Pat. No. 2,373,655 and thus the detailed description of the same is also believed to be unnecessary.

Shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 of the drawing is the device of the present invention which includes a mounting means consisting ofa bar 103, which is fixed to the bracket 29 as shown in FIG. 2. and a pair ofstationary, depending support elements 105. A shaft I07 extends between and is rotatably carried by the support arms 105. A pair of arms [09 are each fixed at one end to the shaft 107, and at their opposite ends support a plate III.

A tension spring 113 is connected to the mounting means, as

for example the support elements 105, and the arms I09 for moving the arms 109 and the plate 111 which is fixed thereto, in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in FIGS. 2 and 3. Fixed also to the shaft 107 is a wiper 115 having a camming surface 117. In the retracted position .of the arms 105, as shown in solid lines in FIGS. 2 and 3, the camming surface 117 of the wiper I15 lies in the path of the rods 33 of the feed chains 35. When engaged by one of such rods 33, the wiper is moved upwardly, thus rocking the shaft 107 and urging the arms I09 and the plate 111 into position as illustrated by broken lines in both FIGS. 2 and 3. Preferably, the exposed side of the plate 111 is discontinuous, as by being knurled or formed with spaced projections or dimples, to minimize any tendency for the wrapping material having a static charge to stick thereto.

In the operation of the above-described apparatus, the wrapping material W is delivered vertically downward through the openings 37 and 39 in the plate 19 and table 21. Once such delivery is completed, the free or leading end of the wrapping material will be located substantially opposite to the device of the present invention and in the path of the plate 111. As best illustrated in FIG. 3, the length of wrapping material which has been disposed across the path of advancement of the articles A exhibits longitudinal edge curl thus bowing such wrapping material in the direction of the turret 67. Alternatively or in addition to such longitudinal edge curl, the leading end of the wrapping material W may also curl upwardly toward the device of the present invention; that is, in a direction opposite to the direction of article advancement. Such last-mentioned curl may be due to the characteristics of the wrapping material itself and/or the air currents created by the movement of the various parts of the feed and drive mechanisms, such as the feed chains, sprockets and gears. V

Concomitantly with the delivery of the wrapping material as described above, an article A which has dropped by gravity from the hopper I5, is pushed along the table 21 by one of the rods 33 carried by the moving feed chain 35. As such article approaches the wrapping material which is in its path, the moving feed chains 35 urge another of the rods 33 into engagement with the camming surface 1 17 of the wiper 115. The wiper 115 is thus lifted, causing the shaft 107 to which it is fixed and the arm 109, which are also fixed to the shaft 107 to rock clockwise as viewed in FIGS. 2 and 3, against the tension of the spring I13. By this action, the plate III, which is carried by the arms I09, is moved first into engagement with the curled longitudinal edges and/or curled leading end of the wrapping material adjacent its free end. With continued movement of such plate 111, the longitudinal edges of the wrapping material are moved laterally and thus uncurled while the free end of the wrapping material is itself straightened; that is, with all portions thereof being substantially in a common plane.

The effect produced by straightening the leading end of the wrapping material by the plate 111 is, of course, transmitted upwardly along the longitudinal edges of the trailing portions of the wrapping material. Thus, the wrapping material which is located directly in the path of the advancing article A is substantially free of longitudinal edge curl as well as curl along its leading end.

As the continuously advancing article A moves against the wrapping material which is in its path, the rod 33 which had elevated the wiper I15 travels beyond the camming surface 117 so that the spring 113 returns the arms 109 to their normally retracted positions. The article A, as it moves over and beyond the table opening 39, is enveloped on its leading, top and bottom sides by the wrapping material, whereupon the cutter roll 63 and blade 65 coact to sever a necessary length of wrapping material from its supply source.

The partially wrapped article is then advanced into a packet P of the turret 67, in which the severed length of wrapping material is folded onto its trailing side, and subsequently into suitable end folding and sealing means, not shown.

Once the article A has moved beyond the openings 37 and 39 in the plate 19 and 21, the wrapping material feed means is actuated to again deliver wrapping material in position for engagement with another advancing article A.

We claim:

l. in a wrapping machine having a table, means for advancing an article to be wrapped along the table, feed means for delivering a wrapping material from above the table into and across the path of article advancement, the improvement comprising a device positioned below the table for straightening an adjacent free end portion of a wrapping material which has assumed curl along its longitudinal edges and/or along its leading end, said device including means for mounting the same below the table, an elongated member extending substantially transversely of the path of delivery of the wrapping material, means supporting said member for movement, means for moving said member away from the path of delivery of the wrapping material and maintaining said member in its retracted position during delivery of the wrapping material, and means including a wiper connected to said elongated member and activated by the article advancing means for pro jecting said member toward the path of delivery of the wrapping material and into position for nngaging with a por tion of one side of the wrapping material adjacent to the free end thereof.

2. Apparatus as defined in claim l wherein said supporting means includes a pair of arms, means connecting said elongated member to said arms, and a shaft pivotally connecting said arms to said mounting means.

3. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said means for moving said elongated member away from the path of delivery of the wrapping material and maintaining the elongated member in its retracted position is a spring connected to said mounting means and said elongated member. i

ii. Apparatus as defined in claim 2 wherein said means to moving said elongated member away from the path of delivery of the wrapping material is a spring extending between said pair of arms and said mounting means.

5. Apparatus as defined in claim 4 wherein said wiper is fixed at one end to said shaft and has its opposite end in the path of the article advancing means.

6. Apparatus as defined in nlaim 5 wherein said elongated member is a plate.

'7' Apparatus as dniinnd in claim 6 wherein the time of the plate which is adaptad to engage with thn wrapping matnrial has an intarrnptsd snrl'aen.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent NO. 3,596,435 Dated August 3, 1971 Inventor(s) Goodwin S. Graves and Carl R. Pepmeier It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Col. 3 line 32 insert the word "table" after and and before 21 Col. 4, line 67,

"packet" should read pocket line 72 insert the word "table" after and and be- I fore 21 Signed and sealed this 25th day of January 1972.

ISIEIAL) Attest:

M.FLETCHER,JR. ROBERT G LK attesting Officer Commlsslonel of atents )RM PD-IOSO 110-69) USCOMM-DC 60376-P69 n u 5 GOVERNMENT PRINYING OFFICE I959 0-356-334 

1. In a wrapping machine having a table, means for advancing an article to be wrapped along the table, feed means for delivering a wrapping material from above the table into and across the path of article advancement, the improvement comprising a device positioned below the table for straightening an adjacent free end portion of a wrapping material which has assumed curl along its longitudinal edges and/or along its leading end, said device including means for mounting the same below the table, an elongated member extending substantially transversely of the path of delivery of the wrapping material, means supporting said member for movement, means for moving said member away from the path of delivery of the wrapping material and maintaining said member in its retracted position during delivery of the wrapping material, and means including a wiper connected to said elongated member and activated by the article advancing means for projecting said member toward the path of delivery of the wrapping material and into position for engaging with a portion of one side of the wrapping material adjacent to the free end thereof.
 2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said supporting means includes a pair of arms, means connecting said elongated member to said arms, and a shaft pivotally connecting said arms to said mounting means.
 3. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said means for moving said elongated member away from the path of delivery of the wrapping material and maintaining the elongated member in its retracted position is a spring connected to said mounting means and said elongated member.
 4. Apparatus as defined in claim 2 wherein said means for moving said elongated member away from the path of delivery of the wrapping material is a spring extending between said pair of arms and said mounting means.
 5. Apparatus as defined in claim 4 wherein said wiper is fixed at one end to said shaft and has its opposite end in the path of the article advancing means.
 6. Apparatus as defined in claim 5 wherein said elongated member is a plate.
 7. ApParatus as defined in claim 6 wherein the face of the plate which is adapted to engage with the wrapping material has an interrupted surface. 